Eleventh Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Set for Sunday, Jan. 17 at The Hill School

The 11th Annual Community Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will take place 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17 at The Hill School Center for the Arts on Beech Street.

All are invited and Hill School chaplain, the Rev. John Houghton, will serve as host.

Organizers hope to put together a 50-voice community choir to sing at the event.

There is a rehearsal tonight, 7:30 p.m. at Bethel Community Church of Pottstown, 575 N. Keim St. and another scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. for those interested in participating.

"We are working extremely hard to have a 50+ Voice Choir and we would love to have 50 Churches participating," said Vernon Ross, Bethel pastor and one of the event organizers.

Hezekiah Hill, Bethel's Director of Music, is organizing the choir and Don Corey Washington is coming off Broadway to sing Dr. King's favorite song "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," Ross said.

BCCP's Mission Ministry, headed by Juanita Jackson, in collaboration with Wegman's, is providing refreshments for the celebration.

All proceeds from the collection at the event will benefit the Salvation Army of Pottstown.

The MLK Celebration began as an effort to remember the life and work of Dr. King. But it was also initiated to bring the entire "Faith Communities" together to let the residents and others see us as a unified body, Ross wrote in an e-mail.

"Given all that's happening in the country and even here in Pottstown, I would think that everyone would be on board with advocating the message and work of Dr. King," wrote Ross. "We need 'Peace.' 'Love,' 'Unity' and 'Inclusiveness' more today than ever before now." 

Ross also wrote that organizers would like to see more "discussion and effort to get more of our youth in Pottstown to attend the celebration. Youth of all color need to understand the life and work of Dr. King' and just not understand it but pattern their lives after him when it comes to non-violence and peace."